ENCORE!!! – DRAGON MEN LOOK TO MATCH BREAKTHROUGH 2018 SEASON

Defending National Champion Andrew Kibet (left) and Sylvestre Kibarar (center) are back to lead the Blue Dragon Men's Cross Country team in 2019.

August 29, 2019

By Steve Carpenter
Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director

After arguably the best season in Hutchinson Community College men's cross country history, what are the 2019 Blue Dragons going to do for an encore?

The 2018 Blue Dragons won 4 of 6 team championships. Included in that first-place haul was both Region VI and Jayhawk Conference team championships. The Blue Dragons finished seventh in the NJCAA Championships, the team's first Top 10 national finish since 2003.

Oh, yeah – Andrew Kibet won the first individual NJCAA national championship in team history. Kibet, Sylvestre Kibarar and Brett Hillabrand were all earned All-America status.

That's a pretty good year.

Now as 2019 opens on Friday with the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic at Fun Valley, expectations are now high for the Blue Dragon men.

Fifth-year head coach Justin Riggs, the 2018 Region VI Men's Coach of the Year, brings back only three runners from last year.

"We had a lot of success last year," Riggs said. "We graduated a lot of the major contributors, but I think we've added some key new contributors. We are just trying to find an identity."

In only his first true season of cross country competition, Kibet was a marvel in 2018. He won 5 of 6 races last season, tying the all-time 8,000-meter time in Blue Dragon history at 24:01 in winning the Region VI and Jayhawk West individual titles.

Kibet was named the USTFCCCA Central District Runner of the Year in 2018.

"He's been more intent with his training as a cross country runner this year," Riggs said. "He had a new focus this year."

"I want to defend that title," Kibet added.

Kibarar and Hillabrand had a pretty big say-so in the success of 2018. Both earned NJCAA Coaches All-America status for their performances in the NJCAA national championships. Kibarar was 21st with a time of 26:49.9 and Hillabrand was 40th in 27:28.9

Kibarar posted the 10th fastest 8K time in team history last season at 25:07. Hillabrand ran the 20th best time in Hutch history at 25:35.

To put that in perspective, before Kibet, Kibarar and Hillabrand posted times in the Hutch all-time Top 25 last season, only two other runners had done so since 1993.

Sophomore Jeffrey Klopf joins the Blue Dragons in 2019 as well as seven new freshmen – Teagan Flanagan (Kingman), Zach Haxton (Argonia), Andrew Holt (Lago Vista, TX), Austin Lorenzo (Lewisville, TX), Jacob McElhanon (Midlothian, TX), Alex Nava (Nickerson) and Matthew Schrag (Hutchinson High).

"With different personalities, we are trying to keep the same culture," Riggs said. "The sophomores are doing a good job of showing everybody the ropes."

After the Masterson Twilight, the Blue Dragons will compete at Missouri Southern on September 21, Emporia State on September 28, Fort Hays State on October 12 and the Region VI Championships on October 26 in Iola. The NJCAA Championships will be on Nov. 12 in Albuquerque, NM.